Best I'll Ever Have
by ASiriuslyGleekyTimeLord
Summary: Nate is dead...or is he? How will a late night conversation affect the grifter and mastermind? Summary not the best, please check it out for yourself. Please read and review!


Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage…

A/N: I felt like doing an emo story…Morralls…please don't kill me for the first part…Inspired by the Nate/Sophie "Best I Ever Had" video on youtube. Thanks to Selene Antilles for helping me figure out where to go when I was standing in front of a large brick wall.

Best I Never Had

Sophie stood at the airport, waiting for Nate to come get her. He said that he would pick her up as soon as her plane landed, but he wasn't there yet. He had left her a message saying that he was running late. Glancing down at her watch she realized that it was late even for saying you were going to be late. Where was he?

She decided to sit on the bench and waited, until she saw the truck pulling up to her. As she looked on, Eliot climbed out and made his way over to her slowly. Sophie saw in his gait that something was wrong. The hitter's walk seemed to shout that he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Eliot, what's wrong?" the grifter asked as he stopped in front of her. "Where's Nate? He said he was going to…" she trailed off as it hit her. "No…" she whispered.

"He…he was on his way darlin'," Eliot said softly, kneeling in front of her and looking up at her. "But…there was an accident. Drunk driver came out of nowhere…t-boned him. And you know Nate's car…that little Tesla, there's no way it would survive any type of collision with another car, let alone an 18 wheeler rig…"

He stopped when he heard the strangled sob escape her throat and quickly sat beside her, gathering her into his arms. "I was…I was coming home to him!" she cried out, tears soaking his shirt. "We were ready!"

"I know darlin'. I know," he whispered, his own voice taking on a husky tone. "He was so excited too…as soon as we heard you were comin' home, he instantly started planning a party. Tara was helping too."

"Tara! Where is she? And Parker and Hardison?" she exclaimed, pulling away. Or at least trying, Eliot just held tight to her.

"They're at the…they're with him," Eliot said softly.

Sophie shot up in bed in London and felt tears falling hard and fast down her face. She reached desperately for her phone and hit the first speed dial.

It rang…and rang…and rang... "…Sophie?" his voice asked.

"Nate?!" she exclaimed, so glad to hear him. "Oh Nate, you're okay!"

"Of course I'm alright Sophie. What's wrong? What did you think happened?"

Nate sat up straight in his bed and was instantly concerned. She wouldn't be calling at four in the morning unless it was something important. True, it wasn't even midnight for him, but it was still much too early for her.

"It was just…just a bad dream…" she said, but he could tell, she wasn't just trying to convince him of that, she was trying to convince herself as well. Then Nate heard strangled sobs on the other end of the phone and he reached over to turn on his light.

"Sophie, Sophie calm down. It's okay. I'm right here," he murmured soothingly over the phone. "It's okay, we're both okay."

"Right," she said shakily, nodding and trying to regain her composure. "I'm sorry Nate. I shouldn't have called."

"No, Soph, really, it's alright. What did you see?" he asked, although, from what she said when he answered, he could figure it out.

"Can we not talk about that?" she asked and he heard fear in her voice. It was strange to hear her in this sort of condition. "I just want to try and forget so I can go back to sleep."

"Alright. Lay down Soph," Nate said, knowing that she liked to sit on the edge of the bed when she was on the phone. He could hear the ruffle of sheets as she lay down and got under the covers. A moment later, she was back.

"I'm laying down General, what next?" she asked, and he could hear the exhaustion in her voice.

"Close your eyes and just relax," Nate said gently, keeping his voice low to soothe the grifter.

"I don't want to see it again," she whispered, fear in her voice.

"You won't," Nate reassured her. "I'll stay with you Sophie, it will be okay."

Sophie did as he said, turning the phone on speaker first, and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry to do this to you…It was just a stupid dream."

"Soph, just relax," Nate said, getting up and going to the kitchen downstairs to get some coffee. "Now, why don't you tell me what set it off."

"I miss you," she murmured. "I want to come home…"

"Then why don't you book a flight and I'll be the first one there?" Nate asked, finding it hard to hide his own excitement.

"No Nate, please," Sophie begged. "I can get back on my own."

He heard pain and fear in her voice again. "Alright, it's okay Sophie. Take it easy. Why don't you surprise me then? Just show up at my door one day…next week…or tomorrow…" he finished, trailing off. There was a tired laugh from the other end of the phone line.

"I'll show up when you least expect it, how does that sound?" she asked, her words slurring slightly.

"Sounds good to me." Nate kept his voice soft, hoping to lull her back to sleep. He would stay with her all night to make sure that she didn't wake up as terrified as she had again. "How has London been?"

"'S fine…" she said softly, curling up around the phone as she started to drift. "Not great…but fine…"

"Good Sophie, that's good," he replied and it wasn't long before he heard slow, steady breathing on the other end of the line. "Sophie?" he practically breathed into the receiver, only to hear a rustling of sheets on the other end and a tiny sigh.

Nate grabbed his copy of Pride and Prejudice from his bookshelf and sat down on the couch, reading and sipping at his coffee, the phone sitting next to him. Things were quiet for an hour or two before he heard more rustling.

"No…Nate…no please…please don't leave me…"

She was whimpering in her sleep and the rustling sounded like it was turning into thrashing.

"Sophie, Soph, it's okay, I'm right here Soph. I'm right here," he said, trying to soothe her.

"Nate…?" she asked, voice heavy with sleep and he couldn't tell if she had woken up or if she was still asleep.

"That's right. Just relax," Nate said.

She settled down again and he heard, "I love you…"

"I love you too Sophie…more than you know," he said.

"Nate? Nate, are you there?"

Nate shot up from the couch and his book fell off his chest. It was still dark outside and he looked around, trying to find out what time it was. "Sophie?" he asked as he picked up the phone.

"Nate, it's three in the morning there, go to bed. Get some sleep."

"Are you okay?" he asked, sitting up and picking up the book, setting it next to his coffee.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you Nathan. For everything."

"Not a problem Sophie."

Nate got up and headed for the bedroom, laying down and placing the phone next to him.

"Shall I stay up with you until I am sure you will not have any nightmares?" she asked jokingly.

"No, that's fine Soph. Just have a good day," Nate said, closing his eyes.

"I will Nate, I will. Goodbye."

"Bye Sophie."

His door clicked open and he jerked up in bed. "Parker?" he called, wondering if the rest of the team had come over since he had fallen asleep. Looking at the clock on his nightstand, he saw that it was already two o'clock in the afternoon.

Nate jumped out of bed and hurried downstairs, wondering if they had a client or a new case. That was when he saw a certain brown haired grifter standing in his living room, looking around as if she had been gone for years. When she saw Nate looking at her she smiled. "Surprise?" she asked, holding up her hands.

Slowly, Nate walked down the final stairs and over to Sophie. He stood there with her in silence for a moment before pulling her into his arms and kissing her fiercely. She yelped in surprise before melting into his arms, her arms wrapping their way sensuously around his neck.

When they pulled apart, he grinned down at her. "Hello Sophie," he said quietly, his voice husky.

"Anna. Call me Anna, Nate," she whispered, gazing at him passionately.

"Hello Anna…Hmmm…Anna…I like it. It has a certain…grace to it that fits you perfectly," Nate said, twirling her around. "It's so regal and elegant. Anna…Anna Devereaux…that could be an interesting name for you to take on. Can you play yourself after being someone else for so long?" he asked raising an eyebrow and gazing down at her lovingly.

"Yes, I don't think you'll have a problem putting on the role you were destined to play. Ms. Anna Devereaux…It might take me a while to get used to that…I hope you don't mind if I still use Sophie every once in a while, seeing as I know her a little better," he said grinning before turning serious. "Sophie…will you stay here with me?"

"Of course Nate…Of course…When should we tell the others that I'm back?" she asked, wrapped up in his arms.

"After we've gotten reacquainted," Nate said. The next second, he was scooping her up in his arms, causing her to yelp in surprise. Then, he was carrying her upstairs and knowing that he would never let her go again. And she knew that she would never take one more moment with Nate for granted.

They were perfect for each other, and there was no one better.


End file.
